Air Museum of Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Joe Devorak

Titles: Air Museum of Minnesota Oral History Project: Interview with Joe Devorak (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Joe Devorak was born in Madison, Minnesota and got his flight training in the Air Force during World War II. He was a founder of West Central Airways in Fergus Falls, and owned and operated a crop dusting business in the Fergus Falls area. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Devorak's early life in Madison, Minnesota. His decision to work in the aircraft industry. His time during the war at Douglas Aircraft in California and later in the U.S. Air Force in Italy. Some discussion of early aircraft. His return to central Minnesota after the war and a brief period at the University of Minnesota. The founding of West Central Airways. Post war licensing for pilots. His transition to crop spraying and the types of chemicals and aircraft used. Crop dusting issues such as chemical drift, hitting power lines and animals, and hours worked per day. The 1954 army worm infestation. Anecdote about cutting a power line. Patrolling power lines from an airplane. Changes in aircraft over the years.

Dates

• 05/15/1980 - 08/19/1980 (Interview dates: 5/15/1980 and 8/19/1980.) (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Devorak, Joe
• interviewer: Holey, George

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 101
• Accession Number: AV1992.88.4

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Air Museum of Minnesota Oral History Project' <OH 101>

Quantity: 1 hour sound cassette 28 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 60 minutes length

Subjects

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